The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for harvesting produce, and more particularly to systems and methods for automatically picking and coring cabbage, head lettuce and other similar produce.
Head lettuce (e.g., iceberg) and cabbage are most often cut using manual labor. This involves an agricultural worker reaching down to the ground and cutting the plant an appropriate distance up from the ground.
In many growing areas in the United States, iceberg lettuce and cabbage are harvested for one of two purposes. The product may be cut from the field and packaged as a whole head and find its way to a fresh market. Alternatively, the heads may be further processed into various precut packaged salad blends, coleslaw, or sauerkraut. Harvesting for the latter is sometimes referred to as “bulk” harvest, as the cut heads are typically collected in large volume bins and further handled as a bulk item. Many salad producers are requiring that field harvesters provide the heads of iceberg or cabbage with the cores removed (“cored”). The core or stem of the plant is considered undesirable for use in salads or coleslaw. The salad producers prefer that the product be pre-cored so that substantially all of the raw product delivered to their processing facility is usable. Hence, there is increasing economic pressure to remove the iceberg and cabbage cores prior to being sent or delivered to the processing plant. There are several cutting devices available to assist the agricultural field workers in removing the core from the plants. Regardless of which current devices are used, however, the entire process is still labor intensive.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide automated systems and methods for picking and coring such produce to enhance efficiency and/or to help reduce reliance on manual labor.